Apparatus for operating doors



July 23, 1 s. s. ROBY APPARATUS FOR ormmme nouns Filed Feb. 11, 1939 2 shag-sheet 1 "SHELDONJJQOBX y 23, 9 s. 5. ROBY 2,208, 4 APPARATUS FOR OPERATING moons 1 Filed Feb. 11, 1939 ZSheets-Sheei. z-

' i3w SHELDON S R05 Y i 5' to be responsive to a light beam extending Registered July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AP PAR'ATUS FOR OPERATING DOORS Sheldon S.

The Stanley Works,

Roby, Meriden, Conn., assignor to New Britain Conn, a corporation or Connecticut v v 2 Application February 11,

1939, Serial No. 255,803

8 Claims. (01. 268-1) The present invention relates to automatic door opening and closing apparatus of the character whichis controlled by the interruption of a beam or beams? of light, and more particularly 5 to the type of apparatus illustrated in the co pending application to the same inventor, Serial No. 56,069 filed December 24, 1935.

The aim of the present invention is to provide in apparatus of the character described in said 10 application an improved and-simplified arrangeshown therein for opening and closing the door,

which-is adapted transversely of the door and a compound light beam 1 extending .through and transversely of the door, and swltch meansassociated with the door closii'ngandopening operating mechanism and adapt- 0 ed to render one of said beams ineffective when theother of said beams has been rendered effective. :Byth utilization of a single light sensitive means, the. cost of manufacture may be materially afsin'gle light sensitive device reduced, whllestill maintaining the maximum factor ofsafety obtained by the arrangement shown in the above-indicated copending application.

Other objects will be-in part obvious and in part pointed out'more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplifled in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indiated in the appended claims.

In. the accompanying drawings: r Figure -1 is a perspective view of a door set in a wallor partition showing the application to the door of a' door-operating apparatus constructed 50 in accordance with this invention; and

Figs 2 is a more or less schematic view of the improved door operating apparatus and the electical circuits whereby same is controlled by the light sensitive means.

, e 55 Referring to the drawings in detail, there is. I

position as the cross head I6 is moved transpair stanchions' being preferably connected to the ada shield 44 so that illustrated a door A mounted on hinges l0 and adapted to close a doorway B in a partition C. In the construction illustrated, the door swings open to the right as viewed'in Fig. l. Immediately above the doorway is a casing, generally indicated at I2, enclosing a suitable door operating mechanism. This mechanism is of the same type as that shown in the above-indicated application, and only so much thereof as is necessary to a clear understanding of the invention will be .shown and described herein.

The mechanism comprises generallya ,pneu-" matic or hydraulic cylinder H in which there is provided a suitable piston for operating a piston rod l6, which rod is operatively connected to a cross head l8. The cross head 18 is in turn connected by suitable linkage to an arm 26 secured to the door adjacent the hinged edge thereof, 'wherebylit will be swung to open and closed,

versely of the casing I2.

' The .admission of the controlling medium to the cylinder It from the supply line 22 is contr'olledby a bleed valve 24, which valveis operated by a solenoid or electric magnet 26 connected through suitableleads 28 and 30. (see Fig.

2) to a source of electric energy E. Thecross head [8 is further provided with 'an'arm 32 so arrangedthat when the door is completely opened the solenoid 26, is tripped to'close the valve 2,

whereupon the door will immediately be moved to closed position by suitable springs or'the like (not shown). g

In order to provide for the energization 'of the electric magnet 26 and the'consequent operation of the door operating mechanism upon the approach of a'person to the door, there is provided a light sensitive means adapted to be affected by the interruption of a beam of light F directed across the path leading to the doorway. In the illustrated disclosure, there is provideda of spaced stanchions 34 and 36, eachlof' said jacent side of the doorway by a suitable railing member 36. In the stanchion 36, there is provided an incandescent bulb 40 which projects the beam of light F,-and in the opposite stanchion 34 there is mounted the light sensitive means, such as thephotoelectric cell 42 provided with the established light beams.

As in'the copending application, the photoelectric cell 42 is electrically connected to an am'plifler D which is in turn connected with the coil 46.

v substantially the only light 50 it receives is that which is directed thereupon by of-a relay R; the relay being so arranged that whenever the light sensitive cell 42 is energized by an established light beam, the coil of the series with the leads 28 and 80 of the solenoid 24, and whenever the switch 48 of the relay is closed by the deenergization of the coil upon the darkening of the light sensitive cell, the solenoid 28 is energized by power supplied from the source E, and the operating mechanism will move the door to its open position.

With the arrangement so far described, having a single beam F in front of the door and across the path leading thereto, the door will be completely closed after it has been opened unless another person again intercepts the light beam), and the closing movement of the door would be in no way dependent upon the speed with which a person passes through the doorway. With such an arrangement, it would be necessary that the door have a predetermined movement allowing for such a fixed interval as to permit slow persons to pass through the door without inconvenience and possible injury.

In order to place the closing movement of the door under the automatic and unconscious control of the person or persons passing through the doorway and thus prevent injury to those passing through the doorway, while permitting that the door be closed as soon as practical, there is provided a second light source-consisting of an incandescent light 50 mounted or positioned in a stanchion 52 located to the opposite side of the wall or partition from the stanchions 34. and 36 and diagonally opposite to the stanchion 36.

The light source 50 is adapted, when the door has opened a predetermined distance, to project a beam of light G diagonally through the doorway and ontov a mirror 53 (which, in practical construction, would be positioned in the stanchion, but, for purposes of clear illustration, has been shown as positioned outside and adjacent same). The mirror is so arranged. that the beam will be deflected transversely of the doorway and onto the light sensitive means or photoelectric cell 42 a and in effect reestablishing the beam F. With this arrangement, there is provided, when the door is opened, a compound beam G having an interdependent portion G-l extending diagonally through the doorway and portion G2 extending transversely of the doorway, which beam, when established, likewise energizes the light sensitive means 42 to open the relay switch 48 and render the door operating mechanism ineffective to open the door. Thus if anyone is passing through the door after the compound beam is established and intercepts either portion G-l or 6-2 thereof, the light sensitive means will cease to be afiected thereby and will become deenergized and thus render the door operating means effective to open or maintain open the door A.

However, it is necessary to render the tranverse beam F inoperative when the compound beam becomes operative; otherwise, upon the beam F being reestablished after a person passes same, it would maintain the cell 42 energized and the compound beam G would be ineffective. In order to do this, there is diagrammatically shown 9.

switch 3 comprisinga pair of spacedcontacta l4 and 54 arranged in series with the leads II and ilconnecting the incandescent light means 42 to the source of electric supply E. When the door compound beam extends transversely of the door way, the device will remain under the full and unconscious control of one or more persons passing therethrough. Obviously as the door A moves to closed position, the closing of switch 8 will recutting out of the compound beam G. Thus at no time will anyone approaching the door fail to establish the transverse beam F just prior to the I intercept a transverse light beam, and thus a maximum degree of safety is maintained.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious that when the door; is closed the incandescent bulb 40 is in circuit and establishes the beam of light F which maintains the photoelectric cell 42 energized, and the door opening and closing mechanism isthus under the sole control of the transverse beam F. However. the incandescent bulb 50 is also energized, but the beam thereof is intercepted by the door and thus does not reach the photoelectric cell 42. Thus when a person intercepts the light beam F, the cell 42 is deenerglzed, resulting in the deenergization of the relay R electric magnet 26, whereupon the valve 24 is open and the door mechanism will then swing the door towards its open position. When the door is opened a predetermined extent and out of the path of the light beam G, the beam G will also fall on the photoelectric cell 42 and the door opening and closing mechanism will then be under its control. However, when the door has opened to such an extent, the switch S will be opened to cut the bulb 40 out of circuit and thus cut out the transverse beam F and render the door operating mechanism under the sole control of the beam G.

Thus if the person is passing through the doo very slowly, he will intercept the diagonal branch G-l of the compound beam G and again deenergize the photoelectric cell, whereupon the door will remain in its open position, or, if it has started to swing to closed position, it will again open to full position. If the person has passed completely through the door and the door is swinging to closed position but has not intercepted the beam G-I at the time a second person approaches, the second person will intercept the branch G--2 of the compound beam, whereupon the door will again swing open. Thus, by making the light sensitive cell 40 responsive to a compound beam, whereby the interception of either branch thereof would. deenergize the cell, the door, after being swung to a predetermined position, will always be maintained under the unconscious control of the persons passing therethrough.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying the path leading to the doorway,

upon interception drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language usedin the following claims is intended'to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween I claim as my invention:

1. A dooroperating device comprising mechanism for opening and closing a door, means for establishing a beam of light transversely of the path leading to the doorway, means for rendering said beam of the door a predetermined distance, meansior establishing a compound beam of light extending diagonally through and transversely of the doorway when said door has been opened a predetermined distance, a light sensitive device respon-- sive to each of said established light beams and afiectedupon interruption of the established light beam to render said mechanism operative to open the door.

2. A door operating device comprising mechanism for opening and closing a door, means for establishing a beam of light transversely of means for rendering said beam of light inefiective'upon opening of the door a predetermined distance, means for establishing a compound beam of light having one branch extending diagonally through the door and another branch extending transversely of the door whensaid door has been opened a predetermined distance, a light sensitive device responsive to said transverse beam and afiected thereof to render said mechanism operative to open the door, said light sensitive device also being responsive to said compound beam and affected upon interruption ofv either branch thereof to render said mechanism operative to open the door.

3. A .door operating apparatus comprising mechanism for opening and closing the door, controlling means for said mechanism including anelectrical device, means at one sideofthe door for directing a beam of light transversely of 'the path leading to the doorway, a photoelectric cell responsive to said beam of light and '-electrically connected-to said device for rendering said mechanism operative to open the door, means associated with the movement of the door for electrically disconnecting said light directing means when the door has been opened to a predetermined position, and means at the other side of the door for directing a second beam of light diagonally through and transversely of the doorway to said photoelectric cell after the door has been opened to said predetermined position to energize said photoelectric cell.

4. A door operating apparatus comprising .mechanism for opening and. closing the door,

provided with anism operative to means for rendering said mechclosethe door after the door has been opened a predetermined distance, controlling means for said mechanism including an electrical device, means for directing a beam of light transversely of the path leading to the doorway, a photoelectric cell responsive to said beam of light and electrically connected to said, device for rendering said mechanism operative to open the door and to maintain it open so long as. the beam of light is interrupted, means associated with the movement of the door for electrically disconnecting said light directing means when the door has been opened to said predetermined position, and means for directing a of light ineflective upon opening door has been opened to said predetermined p0- an electrical device, means dering said mechanism operative to open the second beam of light through and transversely oithe doorway to said photoelectric cell after the door has been opened to said predetermined position to energize said photoelectric cell and providing a second beam of light adapted to be 5 interrupted to cause said photoelectric cell to render said device effective to operate said mechanism to open the door and maintain the door open as long as the beam is interrupted.

, 5. A door operating apparatus comprising mechanism for opening and closing the door, provided with means for rendering saidmechanism operative to close the door after the door has been opened a predetermined distance, controlling. means for said mechanism including an electrical device, means for directing a beam of light transversely of a path leading to the doorway, a photoelectric cell responsive to said beam of light and electrically connected to said device ior rendering said mechanism operative to open the door and maintain it open so long as the beam of light is interrupted, means associated with the movement of the door for electrically disconnecting the light directing means when the door has been opened to said predetermined position, reflecting means opposite said cell, and means for directing a second beam of light through the doorway to said refiectingmeans to be reflected to said photoelectric cell after the sition to re-energize said photoelectric cell.

6. A door operating apparatus comprising mechanism for opening and closing the door, controlling means for said mechanism including at one side of said door for directing a beam of light transversely of the path leading to the doorway from one side of the path, a photoelectric cell at the other side of the path responsive to said beam of light and electrically connected to said device-for rendoor, means associated with the movement of the door for electrically disconnecting said light directing means when the door has been opened to said predetermined position, reflecting means adjacent said light directing means for reflecting a beam of light to said photoelectric cell, and means at the other side of the door adjacent the side of the path where said photoelectric cell is located for directing a second beam of light through the doorway to said reflecting means after the door has been opened to said predetermined position to re-energize said photoelectric cell.

"l. A door operating apparatus comprising means foropening and closing-the door provided with means rendering said mechanism operative to close the door after the door has been opened to a predetermined distance, controlling means for said mechanism including an electrical device, means at one side of the door for directing .a beam of light transversely of the path leading 'flect a beam of light to said photoelectric cell,

and means at the other side of the door and at the side of the path where said photoelectric cell is located for directing a second beam of light diagonally through the doorway to said reflecting means after the door has been opened to said predetermined position, whereby said reflecting means directs a third beam of light to energize said photoelectric cell, said second light directing means and reflecting means providing a pair of beams of light directed through the path of the doorway adapted to be interrupted to cause said photoelectric cell to render said device eii'ective to operate said mechanism to open the door and maintain the door open as long as one of the pair of beams is interrupted.

8. A door operating device comprising a mechanism for opening and closing a door, means for establishing a beam of light transversely of the path leading to the doorway, a light sensitive device responsive to said transverse beam and eflective upon interception thereof to render said mechanism operative to open the door, means to openthe door. I

SHELDON S. ROBY.

door and one jtransversely thereof, 10 

